High price could limit bigger-screen iPhone sales

Apple is expected to roll out iPhones with larger screens this year, and although demand for these larger phones is mounting, how well they sell could depend on how the tech giant decides to price the devices.

The iPhones are expected to come in 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch versions, according to leaked design mock-ups from multiple sources, noted CNET Senior Editor Brian Tong.

But their larger, sapphire glass screens could be significantly more expensive to manufacture, and Apple could pass on about $100 of that additional cost onto consumers, Tong said.

"I don't think that's a good idea. You'll always have those die-hard Apple consumers who will buy pretty much anything Apple puts out ... but there's just too much competition and too many other options out there for people to pick from," Tong said.

But it may be no surprise that Apple has taken as long as it has to make phones with bigger screens, like those sold by the likes of Samsung and HTC.